Hey guys! Missed a full week for the first time this year. Not too shabby for me, actually; I've almost done more posts in 3 months than I have over the course of 2008 - 2010 (scary...). Other projects took precedent and I found I had less to blog about while I was at work. I had slipped back into my consumer role instead of remaining a reviewer. Let me tell you, it is tough to keep this up regularly AND keep the quality of the posts high. It may seem like a cop out, but I would rather not post if I don't have something worth posting. I don't want to fall back onto 'Top 10 list of X' or any other trick done to keep my numbers up. There is nothing wrong with lists in blogs; I have seen other blogs who rely on them too much when there is a lack of actual content though. I just don't want to be 'that guy'...
Anyways, onto the real deal. As an avid fan of graphic novels and collected editions of comic, I have quite the collection (probably not as big as you might think; that crap is EXPENSIVE...) which grows each year. And one of my favorites is Kingdom Come. In a nutshell, it's about DC superheroes in a future where the tensions of super beings are nearly bursting and the aging heroes (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman...) come out of retirement to restore sanity to society before it is too late. Bad stuff happens, lots of heroes die, but in the end, order is restore and all is (relatively...) well. This graphic novel was done by the most excellent Alex Ross (check earlier comic posts for some Ross love [photo realism, baby...]...) and Mark Waid, who doesn't have the rep of Ross, but has been in the business for quite some time and holds weight on his own. Following the success of Kingdom Come, Ross wanted to do a similar situation with the Marvel Universe, albeit different enough that it didn't turn into Marvel's Kingdom Come. The end product was the Earth X series (spanning across the titles Earth X, Universe X and Paradise X...), which was piloted by Ross, writer Jim Kruger, and interior artist John Paul Leon...
This series (unlike Kingdom Come...) is too large and expanding to encompass into a paragraph or so, but it does break down a bit like it's DC predecessor: Society is spinning out of control (EVERYONE has superpowers now...), no one in the current generation is stepping up to reign it all in, so over the course of the series more and more old heroes step up to do what they do best; save the world. However, this series spans the ENTIRE Marvel Universe, hopping into alternate realities and possible futures and uses celestial beings, such as the Asgardian Gods, Galactus, Mephisto, and even Death itself. It is/was a treat for comic trivia nuts out there, but I would imagine that it was sort of confusing or overwhelming for the casual reader (this may be why it was not as successful as Kingdom Come...) since there is so much to take in. Even though they do recap the heroes origins and how previous events played out (at least those that lead to the current story...), there is still too much to take in for some...
That being said, I love the series. Not in the same way as I love Kingdom Come (that was a glorious love note to the DC Universe...), but the Earth X series is a great ride and I AM a Marvel trivia buff (specifically trivia that pertains to Marvel circa 1993 and before, which is what the X series relates to...). Because of the grand scope of Earth X and the look of the individuals, I have given some thought to who would fit into these aged hero roles if (in my own fantasy world...) they ever wanted to make it into a movie. They never will (much like the never will for Kingdom Come...) actually make a film of this convoluted and niche storyline, but it does get my movie imagination running to think of it. So let's get to it...
Captain America - Bruce Willis: In this reality, Cap is roughly 100 years old and fights for a dream that no one believes in anymore. He has become jaded over the many years fighting what he sees as an ever-losing battle, but fighting for the American Dream is all he knows. I picked Bruce Willis as he plays the action hero type well and retains this ability even as he ages (Sin City, Red, Live Free or Die Hard...). Actually, the real bottom line is that Bruce is a great actor and has a knack for playing this kind of character...
Iron Man - Anthony Hopkins: Tony Stark has sealed himself off inside his mansion as he is the only person left without 'mutant' super powers and has rebuilt robot versions of the Avengers as they have died in combat. He is a paranoid old man, trying to hold on to a past world that has been long gone. Mr. Hopkins is a fantastic actor who can play a wide variety of roles. Playing a grizzled and paranoid Tony Stark would be a cinch as well as a treat to see. Several of Anthony's characters (Zorro, Hannibal, etc...) have been given an obsessive quality which would serve him well as an aged Stark...
Namor - Robert Patrick: Cursed by Franklin Richards for killing the Human Torch, half of The Submariner's body burns without killing him when he is in contact with the air. The only thing that can stop it is constant submersion into the ocean, which prevents him from interacting with the surface world without constant, agonizing pain. I have thought for some time (ok, shortly after T2 came out...) that Robert Patrick had the chops to be Namor and he has aged gracefully enough that he would fit the demeanor of an aged Namor. He's sinister and sly enough that it would be quite fun and a pleasure to see to say the least...
Black Panther/Panther-Man - Tony Todd: Due to the population of Earth being mutated into super beings, Black Panther had been mutated into an actually animal man: along with the power and savagery of a panther, his head now is that of his namesake. He still rules Wakanda with Storm by his side as queen, as well as with Hank McCoy (the Beast...). As this would be completely CGI, you need a great, powerful voice to go along with the Panther-Man. You could pick several mighty voices for this (Michael Dorn, Keith David, etc...), but my pick is Tony Todd, a veteran of many horror and thriller movies. He has the right delivery and tone to match the kind of role while adding an unknown and unexpected quality to the character...
Spiderman/Peter Parker - John Ritter: After the people of Earth all gain powers, Spiderman retires and is revealed to be mild-mannered Peter Parker. He lives a life of despondency as no one needs a man with spider powers if everyone can just save themselves. At this point in the story, Mary Jane has died, but after they had a daughter, May (more on her in a minute...). This will be one of the few instances where I will pick a dead actor, but I think this one fits well. Before John's death, he played a slightly dumpy dad on a prime time sitcom so this juxtaposition fits well. Mr. Ritter has always felt like an everyman to me, and that's really what Spiderman should be (you know, minus the spider powers...). John proved to his audiences that, while he may not be one of the great actors, he is a solid one and gave consistent and enjoyable performances whenever he was on the screen...
May 'Mayday' Parker/Spidergirl - Olivia Wilde: The daughter of Spiderman and Mary Jane, she inherited her father's powers, if not his sense of responsibility. Before the events of Earth X take place, May has become bonded with the Venom symbiot, but professes to her father that she is in control, rather than the suit controlling her. I'll admit it: I picked Olivia Wilde after seeing Tron: Legacy and thinking that she was great in it. She is athletic enough to fill the role as well as being able to portray the attitude of the semi-estranged daughter of a super hero legend. The fit feels natural...
The Skull - Tom Felton: Integral to the beginning and the end of the Earth X series, this young teen is the most powerful telepath to exist. When his powers manifested, it destroyed every active telepath on Earth (Prof. X, Jean Grey, etc...) as well as activated a need to conquer and control. He took the Punisher's symbol, painted red, and set out on a crusade to conquer everyone on the planet. Ignore what you have seen earlier today as it was a spoiler, but now it is gone. This one is kind of a cheat as Tom Felton (you know him as Draco Malfoy...) already played a sadistic blonde teen, but honestly I couldn't think of anyone better. He's got that domineering bully stereotype down pat...
Wolverine - Danny DeVito: In this reality, Wolverine and Jean Grey left the X-Men after Xavier's death and started a life together. This was mainly due to the fact that Cyclops was in love with the Phoenix Force rather than Jean herself. Unfortunately, once there was no need for the X-Men, Wolverine began leading a life of laze and the 'happy' couple began to resemble the cast of 'All in the Family' rather than hardened heroes. I picked DeVito because, well, look at him. That's Danny DeVito. Period. He's belligerent, he's uncouth, he's short, he's heavy. DeVito...
I will stop there as this post has gone MUCH longer than anticipated. I will create a second (or more...) post for other character/actor combination for this same topic. But, for now, I hope you've enjoyed this beginning piece of fantasy mumbo-jumbo. If you are familiar with the Earth X series and wish to add your own thoughts, feel free to. I'd love to know who would fit where...
We start with our hero reminiscing (while needlessly wearing tattered...cloth, I guess...) about days gone by and experiences on the sea. This leads us into story at an undetermined time in Wolverine's past. Logan is plagued with dreams of floating, golden babies, which is strange enough. He ends up on a cruise (lord knows why; he sticks out like a sore thumb with that hair [maybe the babies told him to...]...) and meets up with these pregnant women. After a short conversation, one of the women dives into the pool and is quickly (and brutally...) murdered in broad day light. No one saw the murderer, but ol' Wolvie has some suspicions. The party breaks up and Logan dons his brown and yellow costume (my personal favorite costume of his...) and gets down to business. Meanwhile, one of the other women is killed and strung up in the elevator. We then finally see our killer; he's a monster with a lot sharp teeth, sharp spikes, and sharp claws. They fight briefly and the monster slices an elevator cable (innocents in danger...), forcing Wolverine to stop fighting and grab both ends of the loose cables (more on that later...). The monster escapes and, following a brief frackus with security, Wolverine rushes to the last woman's room just as the monster does. He tackles the monster into the water and they fight, all the while the giant rotors (the 'screws', as mentioned in the issue...) get closer. The monster gets sucked into them and is chopped to bits while Wolverine swims away. The issue ends with Logan and the last woman sharing a heartfelt moment...
I've had a copy of this comic book for longer than I can remember. It was a coverless copy even when I received it back in the very early 90's and its condition shows its love. Tara bought me a cherry copy a couple years back, which meant a lot (if you don't know why, I can't teach you...), so now I don't have to be nearly as gentle with the original as I have been. As far as the contents go, the story is alright (written by mega-veteran Hulk author, Peter David...). It's in the vein of a suspense monster movie, but quick (it IS a comic book issue, after all...) so there is little in the way of development and more of a headlong plunge into the final battle. The art, though, varies from really good to absolutely great. This came out during my favorite era of comic art, so I dig a little Marc Silvestri on the cover and Larry Stroman did a bang up job on the rest of it, giving the relative realism of the time while still putting his own spin on it. The inker, Dan Green, should definitely be given a shout out as there is a ton of great panels where the inking was everything. There is great mood in the panels and very simple shots keep up the pace until the end...
Not that I have no problems with this issue. As a kid, I totally bought that Wolverine would just crouch there in rags. I would have thought, 'Oooh, I wonder who Wolverine just fought? I bet it was Sabertooth and Lady Deathstrike!'. As an adult, however, it seems a little pointless. I'd imagine he'd just rip them off by the time this panel happened and/or changed clothes, though I know why they used it. It's very evocative of the character. Next, the scene in the elevator. Regardless of how strong Wolverine really is, I don't buy that he can hold an elevator car aloft without it slipping through his hand (check the singular status...). It's not a question of his bones; it's just not possible for someone at his assumed power level to do this. Not buying it at all. Further, the battle in the water needs to be addressed. My problems are twofold: 1) Adamantium is heavy (it was once said that he had 300 pounds of adamantium laced to his bones...) so, even with Wolverines augmented strength, he'd have to constantly swim to stay afloat. Augmented strength does not give augmented buoyancy. And B) Why didn't Wolverine get sucked into the rotors with the monster? I can suspend my disbelief for the floating thing, but this completely defied conventional logic and physics. Sure, it wouldn't have killed him, but he doesn't have anti-rotor pheromones or whatever. I may be getting picky as I age, but these just seem a little silly, even in the realm of comic book physics...
